Wasps In Your Garden? Plant These 2 Herbs To Keep Them At Bay

There's no two ways about it, wasps are pesky, especially when the weather warms and you want to work in your backyard garden and use those tomato seeds you saved in a paper towel last year. Their sting packs a punch! And while it's easy to go to the store and pick up a bottle of some chemical repellent or traps, a little planting plan can ease your spheksophobia. Fragrant herbs like rosemary and thyme are garden enhancers, and for wasps, these scents are like someone sprayed too much Axe body spray. Whatever they were planning to land on, it's mission abort.

Rosemary and thyme are key ingredients for adding flavor to your cooking and leaving your kitchen with notes of pine, mint, and camphor; however, not for the wasp. Rosemary has an intense woody and pungent smell, while thyme is minty and peppery. This is because wasps rely on their sense of smell to locate food and find places to nest, so when a strong smell interferes with their livelihood, these insects move on. Planting these herbs around your garden's perimeter or near seating areas can keep these areas wasp-free without inhibiting pollinating bees.

A major benefit of growing rosemary and thyme to keep wasps at bay is that they are not only a non-toxic solution to this buzzy problem if you have kids or pets, but they can also be used to make some of your favorite dishes and drinks. Rosemary and thyme are two ingredients that will instantly elevate that summertime glass of store-bought lemonade or add a little flavor to your favorite marinade. 

That said, rosemary and thyme are not easy to grow. Follow Martha Stewart's gardening tips and start with a small plot when adding rosemary and thyme to your garden. It needs to be in a spot that gets direct sunlight to thrive, and the soil needs to drain well. These plants also are going to grow better if you neglect them a little. Do not overwater. Both herbs do better when the ground is a little drier. If you don't have room in your garden for these herbs or want to bring their superpower to a balcony or sitting area, rosemary and thyme thrive in terracotta pots and will still do the job of keeping these pests away.